Balancing Life and Career Through Music

In 2019 Gorden Cheng BS’03 received a standing ovation following a solo piano recital at The University of Texas at Dallas. It was a high-water mark in Cheng’s lifelong musical journey, and a particularly special accomplishment for the former music student who had become a successful cybersecurity expert.  

Cheng is the deputy corporate security architect for the computer technology and software company Oracle, but his love of playing classical music grew step-in-step with advancement in his demanding career. What began with the tedium of piano lessons as a young boy grew into a passion for performing and competing in the arduous world of international amateur piano competitions. The discipline necessary to master the compositions of Bach or Mozart is also necessary to master computer coding, Cheng said. 

“The work ethic, quality, high standards and continuous improvement that I learned from music carry over into all areas of my life,” he said. 

Born in China, Cheng was 5 when he moved with his family to the United States so his father could pursue a PhD in mechanical engineering. The family eventually settled in North Texas, where Cheng’s father worked in the region’s computer chip industry. Cheng said he grew up with a fascination for computer gaming and hacking.  

“One of the reasons I got into the field of cybersecurity is because I love hacking and breaking computers,” he said. “And it turns out, it’s a very profitable field to be in.” 

From the age of 8, Cheng’s childhood also included music lessons, something he readily admits he didn’t enjoy. 

“I was made to practice at least 30 minutes a day, and honestly, I have to say I did not like the piano when I was learning to play,” he said. 

Cheng did not discover his passion for music and playing piano until he came to UT Dallas in 1999 to study computer science in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. Before UTD, playing piano was merely a duty required by his parents. 

It was at the UTD Jonsson Academic Center, a location for many classes in the then School of Arts and Humanities, that his passion for classical music was ignited when he discovered the school’s Steinway piano and met a renowned member of the music faculty. The Steinway in Jonsson Performance Hall is used for concerts and by students studying music, and Cheng went there often to practice, even though he was a computer science student. For Cheng, playing a piano from the legendary instrument maker was revelatory. 

“I found the Steinway in Jonsson Hall, and I just sat down and started playing,” Cheng said. “The sound was incredible, way better than anything I had ever played before. As a kid I started playing on a tiny little digital keyboard that didn’t even have the full 88 keys.” 

Cheng came to the attention of UT Dallas music professor Dr. Robert Xavier Rodríguez who learned of Cheng’s interest and budding talent. Rodríguez invited Cheng to join Musica Nova, his undergraduate chamber music ensemble, even though he wasn’t a music major. Cheng played with the group, and studied with Rodríguez, for four years while at UTD. 

Cheng describes his introduction to formal music education with a demanding academic teacher as brutal. 

“Our relationship at the beginning was a bit tumultuous,” Cheng said. “He was so strict. And on top of that, I’ve never played with a violinist or a cellist before. That concept of playing with other people, understanding rhythm, looking at body language and all of that – there was just so much that I had to learn. But we became very good friends, and he still gives me advice about my playing.” 

“From the beginning, Gorden showed his talent and passion for music,” Rodríguez said. “I paid him the compliment of challenging him to give his best. As Nadia Boulanger, my teacher in Paris, said, ‘Students must learn to love what is difficult.’ I’m happy to say that Gorden rose to that challenge.” 

Cheng graduated from UTD in 2003 and moved to San Diego where he lives today with his wife and two sons. Along with earning an MBA from Western Governors University, he worked for several software and technology companies in California before joining Oracle in 2017. 

Cheng’s musical appetite reached new heights when he began competing in amateur piano competitions throughout the U.S. and Europe, including the world-renowned Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth. In his first appearance in the competition in 2016, Cheng reached the semi-final round, and he competed again in the 2022, though he was eliminated in the opening round. Earlier this year he won the Boston International Piano Competition.  

Cheng said the was pleased with his performance at this year’s Van Cliburn, though he admits he was somewhat disappointed with the results. Setbacks and disappointments, though, are an important part of life, whether as a musician or IT executive, he said. 

“For me, winning or losing doesn’t really matter at this point, because it doesn’t change the end goal,” Cheng said. “I’ve dealt with disappointment so often in my life, and what’s really important is what you do in the face of that. You learn a lot more about who you are as a person from facing disappointment than if you actually win.” 

In 2019, Cheng returned to the UT Dallas campus at Rodríguez’s invitation and performed a solo piano recital in Jonsson Performance Hall. In the concert, Cheng played the same Steinway piano he discovered there as a UTD freshman. 

“That was the same piano I practiced on all those years ago,” Cheng said. “That recital was a crowning achievement for me in my 30-plus-year musical journey.” 

For Rodríguez, the success Cheng has enjoyed in his career and as an amateur musician is at the heart of why a UT Dallas education is so valuable. 

“For me, Gorden exemplifies what UTD is all about: Science makes the living, and the arts make the living worthwhile,” Rodríguez said. 

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